2015–2016 documentary production funding approvals

DOCUMENTARY PRODUCTION – PRODUCER PROGRAM

WASTE NATION
1 x 75minsMint Pictures
Executive Producer Simon Nasht, Adam KayDirector Dan GoldbergSynopsis In a bid to lift the lid on one of Australia’s dirtiest secrets, social entrepreneur and accidental activist Ronni Kahn embarks on a crusade to end the $10 billion of food waste in Australia each year.

BEAUTIFUL MINDS: THE AGENTS OF CHANGE (formerly Homeward Bound)
1 x 90minsBunya Productions
Producer Greer SimpkinExecutive Producer David JowseyDirector Ili BareSynopsis BEAUTIFUL MINDS: THE AGENTS OF CHANGE charts the story of 78 female scientists as they embark on an epic journey to Antarctica. Fuelled by a growing mistrust of global leaders, the women want to change the startling prevalence of gender inequality in science. Following cutting edge leadership coaching, the scientists return home determined to up-end the leadership status quo and along the way reveal what’s possible when we get the gender balance right.

MAMIL
1 x 90minsWaterbyrd Filmz
Producer Nickolas BirdDirector Eleanor SharpeSynopsis MAMILs, Middle-Aged Men in Lycra. During the week, they are white-collar professionals with responsible jobs, families and mortgages. Come the weekend, they transform into Lycra-clad super heroes; road warriors on expensive custom-made, carbon framed bikes traveling in packs and competing with other males for dominance in the group. MAMIL is a feature length documentary that dares to enter this secret world of middle-aged men to uncover the reasons that compel them to take to the road and sacrifice their time, money and energy to cycling.

FATHER JOE & THE BANGKOK SLAUGHTERHOUSE
1 x 90minsLast Chance Hotel Productions
Producer / Director / Writer James LingwoodSynopsis Father Joe is fighting to save his Klong Toey slum from the bulldozers of mass development and it's going to take more than an ounce of his wild Irish blood to stop them.

THE KINGDOM OF FUNGI
1 x 58minsSmith and Nasht & Real to Reel Productions
Producer Susan MacKinnon, Bill SpahicExecutive Producer Simon Nasht, Anne PickDirector Annamaria TalasSynopsis How the secret world of fungi is essential to life on Earth and holds the key to our future.

KIMBERLEY PROJECT (working title)
1 x 90minsAmnesia Productions
Producer Nicholas Wrathall, Stephanie KingDirector Nicholas WrathallWriter Nicholas Wrathall, Stephanie KingSynopsis This film investigates what is behind the government's controversial plan to close 150 remote Indigenous communities in Western Australia and what this means for the Kimberley people, in terms of the social, political and economic complexities of life on country.

SACRED SONG
1 x 58minsBrindle Films
Producer Rachel Clements, Trisha Morton-Thomas and Naina SenDirector Naina SenSynopsis An aboriginal women’s choir goes on a historic journey to take back the hymns that were given to their ancestors by the German missionaries but in their own ancient languages. Come on an adventure as the unlikeliest band on earth goes on tour.. to the other side of the world!

MY MOTHER'S LOST CHILDREN
1 x 80minsUnicorn Films
Producers Lizzette Atkins, Rhian SkirvingDirector Danny Ben-MosheSynopsisMy Mother's Lost Children is an intimate view into the lives of an eccentric Jewish family, as their lives are thrown into turmoil when two stolen children reappear after 40 years.

A LEG TO STAND ON
52 minsSerendipity Productions Pty Ltd
Producer Margie BryantDirector David RoachSynopsisA Leg to Stand On explores the little know scientific innovation being pioneered by Australian surgeon Associate Prof Munjed Al Muderis as he battles controversy and embraces new found notorierty on his mission to change the life of amputees.

OYSTER
80 minsBower Bird Films Pty LimitedProducer Pat FiskeDirector Kim BeamishSynopsis The bursting flavour of a Sydney Rock Oyster releases the salty taste of the lake but gives nothing away in regards to the fragile environment it grew up in or the story of the family, the farm, the hard work or sacrifices put in by the farmer who raised it.

OWN THE SKY
90 minsFirelight Productions/Paperbark Films
Producer Marcus Gillezeau, Ellenor CoxExecutive Producer Simon NashtDirector Gregory ReadSynopsis Secrecy, conspiracy, obsession and an insatiable conviction to dare to dream and defy the impossible. The incredible story of three men who design, build and fly the world's first real Jetpack around the Statue of Liberty.

AN AUSTRALIAN NIGHTMARE
57 minsFridgejam Productions
Producer / Director / Writer Gary DoustExecutive Producer Megan McMurchySynopsis Follow comedic Actor / Filmmaker Craig Anderson on his riotous roller-coaster journey as he puts his life savings on the line to make his first really, really low budget horror film ‘Red Christmas’.

NO STRINGS ATTACHED
10 x 5minsGreen Bean Pictures Pty Ltd
Producers Lisa Kovacevic, Emma WattsDirector Emma WattsSynopsisNo Strings Attached features a cast of puppets that lip sync and re-enact storiesof dating app users from around Australia. This 10 part documentary web series peers beneath the covers of this social phenomenon and tells the true stories of Australians trying to connect in the 21st Century.

SEIDLER – BRUTAL OR BEAUTIFUL
55 minsFilm Art Doco Pty Ltd
Producers Charlotte Seymour, Sue MaslinDirector Daryl DelloraSynopsis Brutal or beautiful, from the moment he arrive in Sydney, Harry Seidler’s private homes were in demand and his uniquely stylised and innovatively engineered tower blocks came to dominate city skylines all over the country. His vision and his personality cannot be ignored.

SPOOKERS
90 minsMadman Production Company International Pty Ltd
Producers Nick Batzias, Suzanne Walker, Lani-rain Feltham, Virginia WhitwellExecutive Producer Paul WiegardDirector Florian HabichtWriters Veronica Gleeson, Peter O’Donoghue, Florian HabichtSynopsis A close-knit farming family open the most successful scare park in the Southern Hemisphere; facing their fears so others can face theirs, and in doing so creating a home away from home for hundreds of performers.

YEAR 12 DIARIES
26 x 26 minsPrincess Pictures Holdings Pty Ltd
Producer Karla BurtExecutive Producer Laura WatersSynopsisYear 12 Diaries is the real story of Year 12 told by the kids as they go through it.

DEFIANT LIVES
90 minsLiz Burke Media Pty LtdProducers Liz Burke, Sarah BartonDirector Sarah BartonSynopsisDefiant Lives takes the audience on an international journey from the post war period when disabled people were routinely imprisoned in institutions for life, through the revolutionary activism informed by “the Social Model”, and the changes that allowed have allowed more disabled people to fully take part in society.

EMBRACE
85 minsSouthern Light Alliance Pty LtdProducers Anna Vincent, Taryn BrumfittExecutive Producers Timothy White, Mathew BrumfittDirector Taryn BrumfittSynopsis Filmmaker Taryn Brumfitt is an internationally recognised body image activist with over 15 million internet hits across YouTube and Kickstarter. Embrace tells the story of Taryn's personal journey from body loather to body lover, and follows her crusade to change the way women think about themselves and feel about their bodies.

FIRST FLIGHT
57 minsArtemis International Pty LtdExecutive Producers Brian Beaton, Celia TaitDirector Tilman RemmeSynopsis Who were the backyard mechanics and dreamers who contributed to history’s greatest invention? First Flight explores the unwritten history behind the machine that revolutionised the world.

PLAY TO WIN
90 minsJerrycan Films Pty LtdProducers Michael Angus, Sue SwinburneExecutive Producer Nathan MayfieldDirector Sue SwinburneSynopsisPlay to Win is a richly-layered documentary and interactive exploration of Brisbane game developers Halfbrick Studios. Helmed by the charming and youthful Shainiel Deo, Halfbrick are on a quest to become number one in the multi-billion dollar casual games market. Playing games just got serious.

THE SHADOWLAND
60 minsBunya Treehouse ProductionsProducer Greer SimpkinExecutive Producer David JowseyDirector/ Writer Kaye HarrisonBroadcaster ABCSynopsisThe Shadowland explores how an asylum seeker, a refugee advocate and an Anglican priest refuse to let fear get in the way of compassion.

DOCUMENTARY PRODUCTION – BROADCAST PROGRAM

DATE MY RACE
1 x 51minsMatchbox Productions Pty Ltd
Executive Producer Susie JonesBroadcaster SBSSynopsis Date My Race is a documentary that asks: in a world where the internet allows us to choose from a never-ending smorgasbord of potential mates, what role does race play in seeking a partner?

FOR THE LOVE OF MEAT
3 x 52minsEssential Media and Entertainment Pty Ltd
Producer / Director / Writer Josh Martin, Stephen OliverExecutive Producer Sonja ArmstrongBroadcaster SBSSynopsis Matthew Evans is a pig farmer embarking on a journey to discover the best way to eat meat that is healthy, ethical and sustainable.

A STORY OF AUSTRALIAN CINEMA with David Stratton
3 x 57minsStranger Than Fiction Films Pty Ltd
Producers Jo-anne McGowan, Jen PeedomDirector Sally AitkenWriters Sally Aitken, Alex BarryBroadcaster ABC TVSynopsis This is the story of Australian cinema and its creators from the point of view of its most revered critic, David Stratton. It will present the cinematic visions of our filmmakers and intimate behind-the-scenes stories. It also explores David’s personal journey to becoming a world-renowned authority on the art form that defined the twentieth-century.

JADE'S QUEST
48 minsJade Productions Pty LtdExecutive Producer Daryl TalbotProducer/Director/Writer: Wayne DyerBroadcaster: NGC Network (Australia) Pty LtdSynopsis: Jade is an unassuming 14-year-old who sets out on an extraordinary journey to the top of the world aimed at inspiring young girls to chase their dreams, no matter how impossible her own might seem.

OUTBACK
3 x 56 minsEye Spy Productions Pty Ltd trading as Northern PicturesProducer Tosca LoobyExecutive Producer:: Karina Holden, Sue ClothierDirector: Brendan FletcherBroadcaster: Nine NetworkSynopsis: Through the eyes of those who devote their lives to the Outback, comes a deep insight into the elemental power of Nature and its dramatic extremes.

THE SURGERY SHIP SERIES
8 x 48 minsMedia Stockade Pty LtdProducer: Madeleine Hetherton, Rebecca BarryWriter: Madeleine HethertonBroadcaster: National Geographic, SBSSynopsis: One Ship. Thousands of Patients. One Year to Help. A team of medics facing life and death decisions.

ROD TAYLOR: PULLING NO PUNCHES
75 minsLowlands Media Pty Ltd
Producers Robert de Young, Stephan Wellink Executive Producer Alan FinneyDirector Robert de YoungWriter Dena CurtisBroadcaster Foxtel HD ArtsSynopsis Australian actor Rod Taylor was a versatile and popular leading man, equally adept at romantic comedy, adventure and dramatic roles, and his rugged on-screen and off-screen persona created a brand of Australian masculinity now evident in the work of actors such as Mel Gibson, Russell Crowe and Sam Worthington.

STOP LAUGHING. THIS IS SERIOUS (SERIES 2)
3 x 56 minsScreentime Pty Ltd
Producers Craig Anderson, Ruth CullenExecutive Producer Jennifer CollinsBroadcaster ABC TVSynopsisStop Laughing…This Is Serious (Series 2) is a three-part documentary series that continues the story of Australian comedy, delving into the defining moments that have helped to shape our comedic voice of today.

KEEPING AUSTRALIA ALIVE
6 x 60 minsITV Studios Australia Pty Ltd
Producer Elle GibbonsExecutive Producers Ben Ulm, Karen Dewey, Penny RobinsonBroadcaster ABC TVSynopsis With advances in technology and medical services, plus our aging population, how healthy is our health system? 100 cameras, 24 hours... a landmark documentary series captures the Australian health system in one snapshot...telling the story of who we are, what we value and how we live and die.

PLAYED: INSIDE AUSTRALIA’S FAILED WORLD CUP BID
1 x 60 minsSouthern Pictures Pty Ltd
Executive Producer Laurie CritchleyPresenter: Leigh SalesBroadcaster ABC TVSynopsis The inside story of how Australia got played in the murky world of FIFA and the dirtiest World Cup Bid in history.

ON THE TRACKS
44 minsProspero Productions Pty Ltd
Producers Ed Punchard, Julia RedwoodDirector Alison JamesBroadcaster Discovery AustraliaSynopsis On The Tracks explores the fascinating inner workings of Australia’s booming outback railways and the dedicated train crews who battle every day to keep the nation on track.

Disclaimer: Screen Australia has undertaken all reasonable measures to ensure the accuracy of this information at time of publication. If you have any updates please contact [email protected]

The Screen Guide

Find information about Australian productions, and co-productions with Australia, including key cast and creatives, duration, genre, co-production partners, international sales contacts, website links and more.